The Italy veteran Andrea Pirlo scored one goal and created another as the Azzurri laboured to a 3-1 win over Armenia in a World Cup Group B qualifying on Friday.

Pirlo fired Italy ahead in the 11th minute from the penalty spot following Hrayr Mkoyan's handball. But Armenia levelled in the 28th minute through Shakhtar Donetsk's impressive Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Mkhitaryan, the leading scorer in the Ukrainian league with 14 goals in 11 matches, collected the ball near the halfway line, evaded Andrea Barzagli and raced away from the Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci before firing into the bottom right corner.

The Italy players were furious because they wanted the game to have been stopped just before Mkhitaryan got the ball because of a clash of heads between Armenia's midfielder Davit Manoyan and the Italy defender Christian Maggio.

"When two players clash heads, you have to stop the game. The referee didn't do that and that's why I protested," the coach, Cesare Prandelli, said.

Daniele De Rossi headed Italy back in front shortly after the hour before Pablo Osvaldo sealed the result with his third goal in as many qualifiers, heading in De Rossi's free-kick.

Armenia had battled hard for an equaliser and Yura Movsisyan would have had an almost certain goal after a mistake by Bonucci but for a sliding, last-ditch tackle by Maggio.

It was Italy's 33rd match without defeat in World Cup and European Championship qualifying matches.

"We suffered a bit with a few of their counterattacks and we had a couple of individual problems but I'm happy," Prandelli said. "I won't stop saying it: this is a particularly tricky group. We had a great game and played with a lot of character."

Italy were without the Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli who, although included in the starting line-up on Thursday, had not recovered from flu. He was replaced by the Juventus forward Sebastian Giovinco.